Mass-Observation Archive

About the
collection

Topic Collections (1937 - 60) on microfilm

Some of the Mass-Observation Archive's Topic COllections are now commercially available on microfilm. Further information on purchasing sets is available from the publisher's website Adam Matthew Publications. To check if your library has a copy, please search catalogues for Papers of the Mass-Observation Archive.

University of Sussex users will find these microfilms on the main library shelves at classmark HB 330 Pap. These microfilms can be consulted during the Library's normal opening hours (including evenings and weekends) using the microfilm readers situated in the Microform Reading Room situated on the first floor of the Library.

The collections have been filmed in the following parts (see also an alphabetical listing of Topic Collections available on microfilm):

Part 1 - Publications
Consisting of the twenty-five books published by Mass-Observation during its initial period of activity from 1937 to 1950.
Titles include:
Mass-Observation (1937) - by Charles Madge and Tom Harrisson
War Begins at Home, (1940);
Clothes Rationing (1941)
People’s Homes (1942);
An Exmoor Village (1947)
Browns of Chester a shop survey, (1947);
Britain and her Birthrate (1945)
Juvenile Delinquency (1948)
Weekly Intelligence Service issued between February and May 1940,
Britain Revisited, (1961) by Tom Harrisson
Long to Reign Over Us, (1966) by William Kimber.

Part 2 - Worktown
Boxes 1-32

Part 3 - Worktown
Boxes 33-65

Part 4 - Social welfare and Beveridge report
Reconstruction (TC2, 3 boxes)
Family Planning (TC 3, 4 boxes)
Health (TC13, 6 boxes)
Day Nurseries (TC19, 1 box)
Adult and Higher Education (TC36, 1 box)
Post War Hopes (TC40, 1 box)
Public Administration and Social Services in Wartime (TC44, 1 box)
Beveridge Report Surveys (TC53, 4 boxes)

Part 5 - Welfare and social conditions
Housing, 1938-1948 (TC1, 10 boxes)
Work: Registration & Demobilisation, 1939-1946 (TC27, 3 boxes)
Food, 1937-1952 (TC67, 9 boxes)
Fuel, 1937-1947 (TC68, 5 boxes)

Part 6 - Home front during WW2
Evacuation, 1939-1944 (TC5, 2 boxes)
Youth, 1937-1943 (TC51, 3 boxes)
Children & Education, 1932-1952 (TC59, 7 boxes)
Women in Wartime, 1939-1945 (TC32, 4 boxes)
Anti-Semitism, 1939-1951 (TC62, 4 boxes)

Part 7 - Air raids, morale and the blitz
Air-Raids, 1938-1945 (TC23, 12 boxes)
Propaganda and Morale, 1939-1944 (TC43, 5 boxes)
London Survey, 1940 (TC65, 5 boxes)

Part 8 - Conscription, pacifism, war service
Conscientious Objection and Pacifism, 1939-1944 (TC6, 3 boxes)
Forces (Men), 1939-1956 (TC29, 5 boxes)
Gas Masks, 1939-1943 (TC55, 2 boxes)
Dogs in Wartime, 1939-1942 (TC79, 1 box)

Part 9 - Shopping and self image 1938 - 1965
Shopping, 1937-1965 (TC 4, 7 boxes)
Personal Appearance and Clothes, 1938-1954 (TC 18, 5 boxes)
Co-operative stores survey, 1939-47 (TC 21, 1 box)
Commercial Advertising, 1938-47 (TC 22, 1 box)
Commodities, 1941-1964 (TC 78, 6 boxes)

Part 10 - Leisure and Entertainment, 1937-1951
Holidays, 1937-51 (TC 58) (2 boxes)
Leisure, 1940-47 (TC 80, 6 boxes)
Live Entertainment, 1938-1948 (TC 16, 6 boxes)
Music, Dancing and Jazz, 1939-41 (TC 38, 8 boxes)
Sport, 1939-47 (TC 82, 2 boxes)
Astrology & Spiritualism, 1938-47 (TC 8, 1 box)
Wall-chalkings, Jokes, Games and Jigsaws, 1937-41 (TC 41, 1 box)

Alphabetical listing of Topic Collections available on microfilm

Adult and Higher Education (TC36, 1 box) Part 4
Air-Raids, 1938-1945 (TC23, 12 boxes) Part 7
Anti-Semitism, 1939-1951 (TC62, 4 boxes) Part 6
Astrology & Spiritualism, 1938-47 (TC 8, 1 box) Part 10

Beveridge Report Surveys (TC53, 4 boxes) Part 4

Children & Education, 1932-1952 (TC59, 7 boxes) Part 6
Commercial Advertising, 1938-47 (TC 22, 1 box) Part 9
Commodities, 1941-1964 (TC 78, 6 boxes) Part 9
Conscientious Objection and Pacifism, 1939-1944 (TC6, 3 boxes) Part 8
Co-operative stores survey, 1939-47 (TC 21, 1 box) Part 9

Day Nurseries (TC19, 1 box) Part 4
Dogs in Wartime, 1939-1942 (TC79, 1 box) Part 8

Evacuation, 1939-1944 (TC5, 2 boxes) Part 6

Family Planning (TC 3, 4 boxes) Part 4
Food, 1937-1952 (TC67, 9 boxes) Part 5
Forces (Men), 1939-1956 (TC29, 5 boxes) Part 8
Fuel, 1937-1947 (TC68, 5 boxes) Part 5

Gas Masks, 1939-1943 (TC55, 2 boxes) Part 8

Health (TC13, 6 boxes) Part 4
Holidays, 1937-51 (TC 58) (2 boxes) Part 10
Housing, 1938-1948 (TC1, 10 boxes) Part 5

Leisure, 1940-47 (TC 80, 6 boxes) Part 10
Live Entertainment, 1938-1948 (TC 16, 6 boxes) Part 10
London Survey, 1940 (TC65, 5 boxes) Part 7

Music, Dancing and Jazz, 1939-41 (TC 38, 8 boxes) Part 10

Personal Appearance and Clothes, 1938-1954 (TC 18, 5 boxes) Part 9
Post War Hopes (TC40, 1 box) Part 4
Propaganda and Morale, 1939-1944 (TC43, 5 boxes) Part 7
Public Administration and Social Services in Wartime (TC44, 1 box) Part 4

Reconstruction (TC2, 3 boxes) Part 4

Shopping, 1937-1965 (TC 4, 7 boxes) Part 9
Sport, 1939-47 (TC 82, 2 boxes) Part 10

Wall-chalkings, Jokes, Games and Jigsaws, 1937-41 (TC 41, 1 box) Part 10
Women in Wartime, 1939-1945 (TC32, 4 boxes) Part 6
Work: Registration & Demobilisation, 1939-1946 (TC27, 3 boxes) Part 5
Worktown (Boxes 33-65) Part 3
Worktown Boxes (1-32) Part 2

Youth, 1937-1943 (TC51, 3 boxes) Part 6